Diastolic heart failure is one of the most rapidly increasing forms of cardiovascular disease characterized by a thickened and stiff heart muscle that does not relax properly despite the seemingly preserved pumping capability. As a consequence, the heart cannot effectively fill with sufficient amount of blood to meet the body demands, resulting in typical symptoms of heart failure, such as fatigue, shortness of breath and body fluid retention (e.g. swollen legs). Every fifth person aged >65 years is at increased risk to develop diastolic heart failure essentially due to metabolic disorders, such as obesity or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. No treatment has yet been shown to convincingly target and prevent diastolic heart failure.[more]